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Orchard School Bristol

  • 31 January 2025 - Letter to Parents

    TRANSLATING THIS LETTER

    To translate this letter, please use the translate function at the top of this page, above the Orchard School Logo 

      

     Dear Parents and Carers,

    I hope that you’ve had a great week. We’ve had an exciting one, with Science staff hosting a STEM Day on Tuesday with 60 Year 7 and 8 students, and 30 Year 9 and 10 students took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge on Wednesday. We also had a guest speaker in today, Darren Jones MP, talking to a selection of Humanities students about Public Speaking skills.

    Year 11 Exams Prep Information Evening – Wednesday 26th March 6.15 – 7.45pm

     

    Parent Subject Consultation Evenings 

    The dates for these through the year are as follows: 

    Year 7 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 3rd April 3.30 – 7pm 

    Year 9 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 6th March 3.30 – 7pm 

    Year 11 Parent Subject Consultation Evening – Thursday 13th February 3.30 – 7pm 

    Please also note the following date: 

    Year 9 Options Evening – Thursday 27th February 5 – 7pm 

    To help parents and children decide together which options subjects/GCSEs they might choose to take over the next two years in school.

    Easter Revision – Hold the Dates!

    We are scheduling Year 11 Easter revision for the first week of the Easter holidays (7th – 11th April). Please keep this week free from any holidays so your child can attend booster sessions for their GCSE exams. Further details about the sessions will follow in the next few weeks.

     

    Teaching and Learning

    This term, we have been focusing on how we adjust our lessons so that all students can access the learning. Examples include using diagrams as well as explanations, modelling how to answer exam questions to Years 10 and 11 using a live camera showing the teacher writing their answer, and breaking information into little chunks to help students feel less overwhelmed.

      

    Events for the Rest of Term

    We have lots more to look forward to this term, including an upcoming Badminton tournament and our end of term 4 Reward Trip to the cinema. We have over 40 clubs running at lunch and after school, and we would really like to see more girls attending them, especially in Year 8. You can find a copy of our clubs timetable here. All clubs after school start at 3.05 and finish at 4.05. They are great in support of pupils’ physical and mental wellbeing and attendance is rewarded with House points. We are also excited that, from Term 4, we will be working with a company called EduBox, who will offer a range of clubs after school, run independently of us but on our site, with a small fee for parents and carers. This will run in addition to our own clubs offer. Details of how to sign up and how to pay will be released before the end of this term.

     

    Aerosols

    Please note that children should not bring aerosols of any kind into school. Of course, they are welcome to bring deodorant, but this should be in the form of a roll-on/stick deodorant. We have a number of students with asthma, and aerosol sprays can agitate this condition, especially when sprayed excessively in toilet cubicles/areas. They can, in some cases, also set off the fire alarm, disrupting learning, if the amount sprayed is not controlled.

     

    Mental Health Awareness Week - Reminder

    Orchard School will be taking part in Children's Mental Health Week during 3rd-7th February. The theme for the week is "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself". The Grove team and the Student Wellbeing Ambassadors will be supporting students to recognise, understand and manage their own feelings and emotions. We will be doing this by using the "Zones of Regulation".

    On Friday 7th February at break time, students will be encouraged to visit four tables dotted around the school that represent the four zones of regulation. SEMH practitioners and Student Wellbeing Ambassadors will be at each table providing strategies and tools on how to manage emotions in each zone. Students can complete a toolbox worksheet and, when this is completed, will receive House Points. 

     

     

    Attendance 

    With fewer than 50 days to the start of GCSEs, Year 11 attendance is essential. Please ensure your child is up and ready to be in school for 8.15am.

    As some families will be starting to think about summer holidays, too, please look at the term times on the school website here Orchard School - Calendar as we are unable to authorise holidays during term time.

    Attendance and punctuality are the first steps to success

    Attendance winners this week:

    Overall winner: Year 7

    Best House: Butterfield

    Best tutor groups: 7A2, 8W1, 9W2, 10W2 and 11D2

     

    Safeguarding

    Safer Internet Day is coming up on 11th February with the tagline ‘Too good to be true’ which focuses on protection from online scamming. We will be highlighting the dangers of scamming and how it happens throughout that week in February, through assemblies, tutor time sessions and PSHE lessons. If you would like to find out further details about internet safety, please click here.

    Road Safety

    There have been reports from members of the local community of some dangerous behaviour next to, or even on, the main roads around school on the way to and from school. There will be additional sessions delivered to students about road safety and if you could support us and your children in reminding them about the dangers of roads and how to keep themselves safe, that would be much appreciated. To find out more information on road safety, please click this link which will take you to the Think! Website.

     

    Community Events

    To register to take part in any of the above events, please contact Cassandra: cassandra.wye@gmail.com

    In celebration of the Lunar New Year on 29th January, many exciting events are running across Bristol this week. See here for more information. Happy Year of the Snake!

    Have a lovely weekend.

     

    Kind regards,

     

    Mel Sweet, Headteacher